Flame Hawkfish

S

Snarl

New member
I am considering adding a Flame Hawkfish to my tank however before I do I want to make sure it wont make a quick snack out of my cleaner shrimp. Live Aquaria says they may eat small shrimp and I am not sure what qualifies as small shrimp. If you also know of any other reasons to be adding this to a reef tank please let me know.
 
Other than eating shrimps, flame hawks can be bullies. I've had success keeping one in a reef where there was a more dominant fish, a kole tang. Once the tang was re-homed the flame hawkfish became quite aggressive. The tang kept the hawkfish in check.
 
They will eat shrimp. They are an interesting and personable fish but in some cases, can be somewhat aggressive.
 
They are my favorite fish. I have one in my 50gal and will be getting another for my 120gal. The one in the 50 has four peppermint shrimps in with him and he never even looks at them. I have never had an aggressive one. They are jumpers. I lost one when I removed the egg crate top to clean the tank and walked out of the room only to find him behind the tank later on.
 
I had a hawkfish jump out the 1/4 " space between my lid and the side. It was a total Houdini move. Very neat fish.
 
I have kept Flame Hawks for years and never once have they got to a cleaner, peppermint or any other shrimp nor been a bully in the tank. Luck maybe? I don't know but I think they are a good community fish
 
Have one now in my 90 gallon mixed reef. Have one blood shrimp and hermit crabs. No issues at this point.
 
I have kept, and seen flame hawks kept many times over. Each instance I have personally witnessed the flame hawk was not a bully nor did it eat any of the shrimp it was kept with.

However I have seen pics of a flame hawk eating a cleaner, though I would venture that, along with being a bully, are the exceptions rather than the rule.
 
How big is your tank? I have a pair in my tank and really enjoy them. I've kept them with cleaner shrimp without issue, but you never know...
 
Don't know the truth to it, my LFS told me to get the cleaner shrimp first and make sure it's a good reasonable size. While your Flame is in the QT make sure they are eating prepared foods nothing live, then you should be ok. Once again that's what my LFS told me, not my own personal experience. I am thinking about getting one also.
 
start off with a smaller one and most likely it wont eat the shrimps. mine doesnt bother any shrimps whatsoever.
 
I had one in my reef years ago and it had a lot of personality and was fun to watch. It also ate every shrimp in my tank, snacking on the first one within minutes of being added to the tank.
 
Love flame Hawkfish, and I have a pair in a full reef. Mine ate a small peppermint shrimp, but not the larger skunk shrimp...yet. I try to keep them well fed to avoid issues.
 
Can't comment with respect to the shrimp, but I've never had a single instance of aggression from a flame hawk toward any other fish including very docile tankmates like firefish, mandarins, neon gobies.
 
Flame hawks are interesting fish. My first was docile but there is tension between my current one and my Melanurus wrasse. It also went after a goby I introduced so I'd have to say this one can be aggressive.
 
Picked up the new Flame last night. Great colors but skinny. Is eating chopped up oysters and live white worms. Two foods I am sure he never saw. It`s looking good for him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
help with new dracula goby
Replies
5
Views
393
leebca
L
JeannineC
Fish suggestion
Replies
19
Views
2K
rwbroadnax
R
J
Ideas for new stock for a 200L reef tank
Replies
6
Views
300
Uncle99
Uncle99
rrrrob
Blue Damsel
Replies
7
Views
2K
rrrrob
rrrrob
M
20 gallon stocking ideas
Replies
9
Views
1K
MC Blowfish
M
Back
Top